to communicate well
musings, examples, and insights on good communication
sari and
to communicate well
In 1990, a Stanford psychologist called Elizabeth Newton divided participants into two groups: Tappers and Listeners. The Tappers were asked to tap out a familiar tune (like Happy Birthday) on the table. The Listeners’ job was to guess the tune, based on the taps. As you’ll see if you try it, that’s hard. Out of 120 tapped renditions, Listeners... See more
“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but, far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
(Dorothy Nevill)
Many communicators try to make themselves look smart. Great listeners are more interested in making their audiences feel smart. They help people approach their own views with more humility, doubt, and curiosity. When people have a chance to express themselves out loud, they often discover new thoughts. As the writer E. M. Forster put it, “How can I
... See moreClosed questions are also bad questions. Instead of surrendering power, the questioner is imposing a limit on how the question can be answered.
David Brooks • How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
Very early, I had a teacher who told me, “You have to choose carefully what you want to say. You can’t just say everything is wrong. People won’t like it.” So, I praise a lot of people all the time. I say what is good. I could stand on stage and say, “You are all ignorant,” but I don’t. I say, “I don’t know either.” So, I think it’s best to avoid... See more
Shanna Carpenter • Q&A with Hans Rosling (Part 2): How to change Fidel Castro’s mind … and everybody else’s | TED Blog
I wanted to share my most memorable VC pass email of all time, Maple back in the fall from @schlaf. Thoughtful and empathetic:
"I've been wrong more than I've been right so take this all with a grain of salt. I hope you prove me wrong and make me regret this decision."
